


(A)sexual Education [33/52]

by andrea_deer



Series: 52 aspec drabbles/ficlets [33]
Category: Sex Education (TV)
Genre: 52 aspec drabbles, Aromantic, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Coming Out, Discovery, Gen, Originale AroAce character, Otis helps people, Sexual Identity, Teenagers, discovering sexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 20:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18240044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrea_deer/pseuds/andrea_deer
Summary: "Maybe I am just like a super late bloomer or some shit but like... Sometimes I think I'm just broken, you know?"Otis nods slowly, carefully, making sure Amy is done talking. He wonders how long it was brewing. And he does get it, god he does. For once it seems someone came to him with a problem he actually researched before.33rd of 52 aspec drabbles that I've been working on for far too long! But I should finish them this year. It's one of my new year's resolutions, so it must come true. ;)





	(A)sexual Education [33/52]

The backroom of the chemistry lab _smells_. 

To be perfectly fair - it always does. Sometimes more with the chemicals and dust than anything else but that's usually only right after the weekend. On a Thursday afternoon, it usually smells of cigarette smoke (especially when it rains outside) or, well, sex (also more significantly when it rains outside, funnily enough). It's been raining dogs for almost a week and it's hell both on Otis' general means of travel and as it seems the availability of the Chemistry backroom. He's still not sure how Maeve made sure it was free for the session but he is pretty sure the bit of red-white colored cloth he can see picking from under one of the tables is someone's knickers...

He pointedly looks away, it's hardly any of his business and anyway - he has a client.

He clears his throat, tags at his collar nervously before putting his hands back together to avoid any more nervous moves. 

"So... What can I help you with?"

He has to work on his opening lines. It's much easier with clients who just come in, spill their guts and wait for the verdict. At least he knows more or less what he's working with straight away. Sometimes the person he's meeting with is so desperate they spill to Maeve and god but that makes things way easier. Otis can just come it, already post research. Brilliant!

It seems it's not going to be anything like that this time.

"Amy?" he tries again, hoping he got the name right.

He knows her, saw her around the school. She is _pretty_ characteristic and rather hard to miss. Long hair, dyed ink black, strong make-up, and dark clothes... Her thick army boots probably leaving marks on the table where she pulled them close, trying to make it casual like she's not nervous. 

Finally, she sighs and wrinkles her nose.

"Why does it stink like it in here?"

"Oh, well," Otis shrugs with a small chuckle. "Smoke, sex, teenagers, you know how it is."

She gives him an odd look and he realizes he is being the nervous wreck and way to close to sounding like a creepy old uncle and not a fellow teen, relatable guy, easy to talk to, eager to help... That's supposed to be his brand here, he thinks. He's pretty sure. He should probably figure it out by now...

"They're having sex in here? What the fuck is wrong with people?!"

Otis frowns.

"Well, you know, some are really impatient and... well, not everyone really has an opportunity to... get acquainted in this way at their home, I think."

"And of course everyone is doing it," she says with an annoyed, defeated tone.

"Well, we are hormonal teenagers," Otis agrees but pauses, slowly narrowing down to what he thinks is the problem here. "Though not everyone is doing it, of course."

She snorts.

"Yeah, sure. Some are too ugly or too unpopular, I suppose."

"No, no, that's not what I meant, it's just..." He looks for the right words. "We always talk about it like it's something everyone wants at the same time and that's probably because most of us discover it at a similar time of our lives but it's also because of the building peer pressure. ...Not having sex is something people consider uncool so no one really talks about it much. 

It's like when everyone starts drinking at parties and it doesn't mean there aren't people not drinking or that there's something wrong with it, but the general culture considers it less cool so hardly anyone shares that information."

She just keeps staring at him, nervously playing with a strap from her backpack without even glancing at it. She's listening intently and he thinks like he's vaguely moving in the right direction for their meeting but still like he's missing the key point here.

"Obviously I cannot name any names, these sessions are fully confidential, but I can assure you there are people in this school not having sex. Not because no one is willing to have sex with them either! Just because they don't feel they're ready or they've decided to wait for a special someone to have it with, or simply because they haven't yet felt comfortable enough with it or at the moment they prioritize something else. 

The thing about being stuck in school is that we seem to fall for the false idea that we're all progressing simultaneously in our private lives as we do in school but that's hardly true. Some people will not be interested in this kind of intimacy yet, some would find that interest to not be enough to follow through with such a big step at this point in their life. And that's all perfectly normal, really, even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes."

"What if - " she starts after a second as if making sure he stopped bubbling. "What if someone is not interested at all?"

"In sex?"

"In any of this!" she bursts and it's like the tame has broken. "Everyone around me is talking all about boys and girls and whoever the fuck! They all talk about their crushes and sex and kissing and- and I thought it would be fine! There were some guys that were... Okay? That I could fantasize about dating maybe or something, they seemed nice, you know? 

But then I get to know them and it's like... I don't want to kiss, to hold hands, have sex, I don't want any of this! I kept on thinking what you said! That I'm just too young and it will come, but I'm finishing school this year! Everyone I know keeps on about the sex they've had and I'm so over it. I thought maybe I'm not straight and that's it, you know? But I like girls just as much as I like guys - not at fucking all! I think- Fuck, I don't know. 

Maybe I am just like a super late bloomer or some shit but like... Sometimes I think I'm just broken, you know? Like puberty hits some switch in people and makes them all sex frenzy, but it just doesn't work in me at all. Like I'm some fucking robot or some shit. I don't know."

Otis nods slowly, carefully, making sure Amy is done talking. He wonders how long it was brewing. And he does get it, god he does. For once it seems someone came to him with a problem he actually researched before.

"I hear you Amy and... maybe you're right. Sexuality is fluid and it develops or changes over time really and it is possible you will go on with your life and at some point develop an interest in romance and sex... It does happen, we're still young and a lot of things can happen still, but- Have you ever heard about asexuality?"

She watches him carefully and shakes her head slowly.

"Well, it's just basically that, a sexual orientation defined by lack of sexual attraction. Often there is used a split attraction system? Because some people might be not interested in sex but they are in romance? Or vice versa. But some, like maybe you if you feel that works for you, are both aromantic and asexual."

She seems suspicious and he tries to look as reassuring and dependable as possible. Not an easy chore for an awkward sixteen years old, he thinks, but he works with what he has.

"That a thing? And those people don't have sex?"

"It is one hundred percent a thing and I guess some of them do? You can have sex without being attracted to someone, but yeah, plenty of them don't have sex at all. It's a whole spectrum of possibilities really, hard to explain in one go. I guess you could research it for details or if it would be easier for you I can give you some links or printed materials."

She bits her lip.

"My mother checks my history. You could-?"

"I can bring you some print outs to school if that works?"

"Yeah but like... Not for everyone to see?"

He shrugs, smiling. "Sure, you can say it's like notes for some project or whatever you want. I will try to pass it when there won't be many people around. Tomorrow before class?"

She nods. "Yeah, okay."

"Great! We can talk more after you read them if you want to or think that perhaps we're off base here."

She nods again, already walking out.

"Bye!" Otis calls out and she raises her hand in farewell without looking back, the bell rings just as she closes the door behind her.

-

Asexuality is not something Otis decided worked for him, the definition not entirely fitting but it was something he did consider to explain his experiences. He still has links saved so he finds the clearest definitions and information quickly and prints it out before he gets to his homework.

He passes the rolled up print outs to Amy as he enters the school with Maeve to have another session before the classes.

Amy just nods, clearly even less at ease around Maeve, and she quickly walks away from them.

"You provide printed instructions now?” Maeve questions. "Maybe we should raise the price."

Otis chuckles, shaking his head.

"All required teaching materials are included in the price of the learning course," he says in a mock formal voice.

"Weirdo," Mavely says with a smile. "Go to the math class and solve Charles' erection problems, would you?"

"The work is never done, is it?" he jokes and she pushes him towards the right classroom.

-

Otis carefully doesn't mention to Maeve that Amy might come for the second session or that he already pretty much told her it will be free, deciding to cross that bridge when it comes to it. He is still hoping to avoid another lecture on how this is precisely the reason he is not in charge of the financial part of their endeavor. In the end, he forgets all about it in the rush of new patients and his own problems until Amy finds him almost two weeks later.

Her black platforms are extra high, her make-up looks extra demonic and she added fake black nails that seem more like claws than anything else to her repertoire.

"Otis, an odd question, but in your recent amount of social faux pas, did you annoy the princess of darkness?" Eric asks as he turns from his locker to watch Amy walking slowly and determinedly towards them.

Otis gulps slightly, she does look intimidating.

"Um... I don't think so?"

Eric sighs.

"Just so it's clear, if she curses you, sacrifice you to the devil or paints your whole wardrobe black I want nothing to do with it and I don't even know you."

"Thanks," Otis says back dryly just as Amy finally reaches them. "Um, hi, Amy?"

She's watching him carefully for a long moment and casts a quick glance at Eric who automatically makes a small step back. She rolls her eyes before focusing on Otis again and nodding slightly. She takes another small step towards him and before he can react she wraps her arms around him in a warm, careful hug. Awkwardly he puts his arms around her as well, lightly patting her back.

He can see Eric's open-mouthed shock and the people literally pausing on their way to look at them. He hates being in the center of attention even if it's really not about him so much, this time.

Finally, Amy lets go, but stays very close and looks down at him, her eyes shiny and her black lips turning into a small smile.

"Thank you, Otis," she says carefully and he grins back with a small nod before she lets him go fully and walks away. 

Staring after her he notices that on the back of her backpack, between the patches with the bands there's one with an asexual flag and he wonders how did she get it so fast. did she order it? Made it herself? He keeps smiling when Eric runs out of his patience and grabs his arm.

"Otis! What the hell was that?"

Otis just shrugs with a grin. It's hardly his place to talk about it. He tries not to look at the people still watching him as he walks for the class. Hopefully, it will at least be good for business.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](lordnochybaty.tumblr.com) or come to [my aspec sideblog](http://acesthetically-pleasing.tumblr.com/) for more aspec goodies :)


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